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Three Seattle Mariners prospects were rated in the top-25 prospects of the Arizona Fall League by MLB.com, it was announced on Monday.
2012 first-round draft pick Mike Zunino led the Mariners as the third-highest ranked prospect, with second baseman Nick Franklin also coming in at No. 10. Pitcher James Paxton rounded out the Mariners at No. 25.
The Mariners prospects played on the Peoria Javelinas, which won the Arizona Fall League this year.
Zunino hit .288/.337/.463 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 19 games, with MLB.com saying the following about him:
The 2012 first-round pick (No. 4 on the Mariners' Top 20) more than held his own during his pro debut and during the Fall League. There are those who think he'll be ready to contribute in Seattle in the very near future.
Franklin took part in his second-straight AFL season and ended up hitting .338/.422/.519 with two home runs and 22 RBIs in 20 games. He was 10th in the league in average and ninth in OPS.
Only two pitchers made it in the top 25 and Paxton was one of them. The AFL tends to feature some of the better hitting prospects from each team, and pitchers often tend to struggle. Paxton was no exception to this general rule, starting five games but finishing with a 5.68 ERA and 1.58 WHIP through 12.2 innings. He gave up eight runs, walked six, but did strikeout 16 batters -- good for fifth-best on the team.